scrolling

12.31.2012

Top 10 chomps of 2012

2012 seems to have just flown by! It's been a pretty busy year for me of eats and travel. So busy that I have yet to post my 2012 travels to India, Thailand, and Cambodia (to be posted soon)! Unlike 2011's indulgences, this year has been full of eats that are more homey and casual - who knows what 2013 will bring...

My 2012 chomps (in no particular order):

Levain bread and jam from Outerlands (San Francisco, CA). Sometimes the best thing can be just as simple as toast and jam. The freshly made fluffy bread is topped with probably the freshest berry jam I've tasted in SF. Another great thing is you can buy the loaf at the counter and attempt to replicate it at home.

Fried fish tacos from Ricky's Fish Tacos (Los Angeles, CA). Miles away from any type of large body of water, in a narrow driveway, a block away from the bustling Hollywood Blvd, who would have ever thought something so magical could exist? From the perfectly fried to order fish, the cold, crunchy slaw, and the absolutely magical sauces, its the best fish taco I've had.

Nem Kaow (rice ball salad) at Champ Garden (San Francisco, CA). Little crispy bits of rice and other simple ingredients make up this ridiculously memorable dish. You won't stop thinking about it after its long gone.

The Rebel Within at Craftsman and Wolves (San Francisco, CA). It was a delight for all the senses as I bit into the savory muffin with a head scratching puzzling surprise inside. Innovative, creative, and down right tasty.

Meatball with fried egg sandwich (#13) at Banh Mi Ba Le (Oakland, CA). When you eat banh mi, who eats anything, but the the combination (dac biet) or the bbq pork? Not me, but at Banh Mi Ba Le I'm a #13 meatball and fried egg banh mi believer. The most perfectly runny egg with flavorful meat and the best banh mi bread in Northern California. Yes, the best banh mi sandwich in the Bay Area is a meatball one.

Foie sandwich at Naked Lunch (San Francisco, CA), 2012 was the goodbye to foie, but hopefully not forever (see Chicago's foie ban history). I didn't know how much I loved it till it was gone. This year we've seen many preparations of foie, from fancy foie to foie in chocolate, but the one whose memory still lingers on the tip of my tongue is Naked Lunch's foie sandwich. Thick slabs of foie sandwiched with lettuce and tomatoes. Somehow the combination of it all just works.

Chicken Arepa from Mr. Pollo (San Francisco, CA). Perfectly juicy and flavorful chicken in a crispy package. This dish started my obsession with arepas and may possibly lead to spending my 2013 hunting more of these down.

Cannele at Keiko a Nob Hill (San Francisco, CA). I always love a new sweet treat I've never heard of, especially one with such a history. The slightly waxy exterior gave a crisp shell to a custardy tasting center.

Hurache nopales at El Hurache Loco (San Francisco, CA). Living in California, you think you've had all types of Mexican food before the age of 30. Then you tastebuds meet el hurache. Where have you been all my life? California fresh ingredients only heighten what is already a perfectly constructed piece of food art.

Shredded pork bowl at Daikokuya (Los Angeles, CA). So its a ramen house, but the winner here was the chicken rice bowl. From the crispy bits to the fatty juicy pieces, all covered in a sweet sauce, atop some beautifully fluffy white rice. Asian comfort food in its finest moment.

Not to be left out! My best meal of 2013 was at State Bird Provisions (San Francisco, CA). Only a place like State Bird Provision could make something as kitchy as dim sum carts work. Innovative dishes, concept, and tastes make it my clear winner for best meal 2013.